Forward-reverse run automatic stop device for film rewind device of miniature movie camera

ABSTRACT

The present invention presents a device for enabling the film rewinding in a miniature movie camera using a film cartridge having no feed spool operable from outside the camera. According to this invention, when the film in forward run is stopped midway by freeing the release operation of the shutter button before the forward run automatic stopping device works and reverse operation is made successively, these operations can be performed without any trouble. An accident caused by erroneous operation is prevented and at the same time, the amount of film loosely stored in the film cartridge can be measured.

United States Patent FORWARD-REVERSE RUN AUTOMATIC STOP DEVICE FOR FILMREWIND DEVICE OF MINIATURE MOVIE CAMERA 2 Claims, 2 Drawing Figs.

U.S.Cl 242/71.5 G03b 1/06 Field of Search 242/71 .5, 71.4

Primary ExaminerNathan L. Mintz Att0rney-Harry G. Shapiro ABSTRACT: Thepresent invention presents a device for enabling the film rewinding in aminiature movie camera using a film cartridge having no feed spooloperable from outside the camera. According to this invention, when thefilm in forward run is stopped midway by freeing the release operationof the shutter button before the forward run automatic stopping deviceworks and reverse operation is made successively, these operations canbe performed without any trouble. An accident caused by erroneousoperation is prevented and at the same time, the amount of film looselystored in the film cartridge can be measured.

PATENTED FEB 21911 IN V EN TOR. YO SH H 18A KATSU YAM A a vMw A TOQNEYFORWARD-REVERSE RIN AUTOMATIC STOP DEVICE FOR FILM REWIND DEVICE OFMINIATURE MOVIE CAMERA This invention relates to a film rewinding deviceand more particularly to a forward and reverse run automatic stoppingdevice for a miniature movie camera using a film cartridge having nofeed spool shaft capable of being operated from outside of the camera.

Until now. although devices capable of rewinding in a miniature moviecamera using a film cartridge having no feed spool shaft operable fromoutside have been proposed. they are far from reliable in theiroperation and have many disadvantages in their use. There has been ademand for a device of improved reliability.

An object of this invention is to overcome the inconvenience that thefilm is left loose in the film cartridge and enters normal picturetaking accidentally with the provision particularly of a clutchrestricting member to a footage counter.

Furthermore, according to the present invention, the

footage stopper is provided in such a manner as to increase the 7 amountof work given by the footage counter for rapidly and correctly engagingthe footage stopper with the footage stopper claw. and for completelyavoiding the accidental biting that may be cause by the footage stopclaw as it moves away from the footage stopper by providing a push camto the footage stop claw.

In accordance with the present invention, film rewind is possible in aminiature movie camera that uses film cartridge having no feed spooloperable from outside the camera. Moreover. when the film in forward runis stopped midway by freezing the release operation of the shutterbutton before the forward run automatic stopping device works andreverse operation is made in succession, the operation that follows canbe performed without any trouble. Accidents caused when the film hasbeen left loose and stored in the takeup side and successive normalpicture-taking operations are made are prevented. Both forward run andreverse run are started immediately without causing biting, etc.Furthermore, when reverse operation is carried out without storing filmthe film is automatically stopped in an instant. This prevents theoccurence of accidents caused by erroneous operation and at the sametime indicates the amount of film stored loose in the film cartridge. Inshort this invention is very useful in practical ap plications.

This invention will be described to the illustrative embodiment shown inthe attached drawings, in which:

FIG. I is a perspective view of the main portion of an embodimentaccording to this invention; and

FIG. 2 is a plan of footage stop claw disc portion shown in FIG. Iviewed from the bottom.

Referring to FIG. I, I is a well-known film cartridge that has no rewindfeed spool shaft; 2 is a film exposed at the opening of the said filmcartridge 1 and fed in the direction of the arrow in normal picturetaking; 3 is a rotary shaft which is interlocked with well-known shutterdevice and film feed claw (not shown in the drawing) and which operatesin both forward and reverse directions, on which a counterclockwise windworm 4, a pair of footage stop claw discs 5 and 6, and a shutter gear 7are fixed; 8 is a micromotor so constructed as to drive the rotary shaft3 in both forward and reverse directions by a circuit changeover switch48 through a small gear 9 mounted on the output shaft and the shuttergear 7 I is a film takeup disc which fits with the takeup shaft (notshown in the drawing) embedded in the cartridge I and is pivoted on thecamera body by shaft 13 in such a manner as to be rotated clockwise by athin and flat idler gear 12 which also operates as a worm wheel. Fixedto the shaft 13 is driven gear II for meshing engagement with the idlergear 12. The idler gear 12 is pivoted rotation free by the shaft 16provided on the clutch lever I together with the gear 14 combined in oneunit within to be meshed with the counterclockwise wind worm 4. Theclutch lever I5 is held by the pin I7 which is fixed to the camera bodyand fits to the square hole 15' there of the clutch cam 19 whichcontacts with its vertical end 18, and the tension spring tension spring20. and is so constructed that its horizontal end bent portion 21 fallsin the V notch 24 of a counterdisc 23. The counterdisc 23 is pivoted bythe shaft 25 on the camera body. rotation free, together with thecountergear 26 which is formed into one within. The clutch cam I9 isinstalled rotatable by the shaft 22 combined into one with the controlknob 27 which can be operated by hand from outside of the camera; 28 isan indication for example N. symbol inscribed at a predeterminedposition on the said knob 27, and 29 is the index marked on the camerabody. They are formed to displace the clutch lever I5 selectively sothat the driven gear II meshes with the idler gear 12 when the saidindication symbol N is aligned to the index 29 and that the gear I4 andthe countergear 26 mesh with each other when the symbols F and B arealigned to the index. The diameter of the outer edge of the saidcounterdisc 23 is determined so that the horizontal bent portion 21disengages from the V notch 24 and the edge is enabled to rotate closeto the opposite portion of the said bent portion 21 when the clutchlever 15 has been displaced to a position where the gear 14 and thecountergear 26 mesh with each other. Scale marks 53 are engraved on thesurface of the counterdisc, and the amount of rotation can be read fromoutside by the index 54 on the camera body. A footage stopper 30, whichis supported by the shaft 31 on the camera body. free to rotate, andrestricted at the lower end and held by spring force or energized tovertical position by the pin 32 provided on the camera body, and snapspring 33. and the upper end portion of the footage stopper ispositioned between the stop claw discs 5 and 6. A vertical bent portion35 is formed at a position that corresponds to the pin 34 provided onthe countergear 26. The stop claw discs will be described in detailreferring to FIG. 2. On the stop claw discs 5 and 6 are formed pawls 40and 4I respectively, having colliding surfaces, 36 and 37. and pushearns 38 and 39. These two stop claws discs 5 and 6 are positioned closeto the upper end portion of the said footage stopper 30 but not tointerfere with it. The angular positions of the colliding surfaces 36and 37 are determined that the positions at which they collide with theupper portion of the said stopper 30 by the footage automatic stopmotion described later is made the same positions as their stoppositions caused by the shutter shaft stop claw body which is notillustrated. Again in FIG. I; 42 is a switch cam formed integral withcontrol knob 27. It is energized by the tension spring 44 so that thetail end 46 of the switch lever 45. which is installed rotation free bythe shaft 43 fixed to the camera body, will be pressed against the saidswitch cam 42. The end portion 47 of the said switch lever 45 is soconstructed as to operate the changeover switch 48 which controls therotating direction of the micromotor 8. The switch cam 42 is so formedas to control the said changeover switch 48 in such a way that themicromotor makes forward run (rotates clockwise facing the output shaft)when the knob 27 is set at N or F and reverse run only when it is set atB. A power supply battery 49 is connected to the micromotor 8 to form asequential circuit through the changeover switch 48 and release switchsprings 51 and 52 which are supported by an electrically nonconductivebody 50. Next, the operation of the device according to this inventionwill be described referring to an example of overlap photography whichis actually the superimposition of fade-in and fadeout photography.

In FIG. 1 when the knob is set at N and the contacts of the releaseswitch springs 51 and 52 are closed by operating the shutter button (notshown) from outside the camera body, the forward run circuit is closedand the micromotor 8 rotates clockwise to the output shaft and drivesthe shaft 3 by way of small gear 9 and shutter gear 7. By theinterlocking action of the feed claw (not illustrated, the film 2 is fedto the direction of arrow, and simultaneously, the film takeup disc 10rotates through the worm 4, idler gear 12 and driven gear II so as totakeup the film onto the takeup shaft (not shown) embedded in the filmcartridge for effectuating the normal photography.

Next, when the control knob 27 is rotated and set to position F withoutinterrupting the said release operation, the

clutch lever l. displaced by the clutch cam 19. the driven gear 11 andidler gear 12 are disengaged and the gear 14 is meshed with thecountergear 26. Simultaneously. the bent portion 21 is disengaged fromthe notch 24 and the countergear 26 is released from locking. Moreover.since the changeover switch 48 1S inoperative in this state. picture.taking is progressed as before. the rotation of the shaft 3 rotates thecountergear 26 instead of film takeup disc 10. and moves forward in thedirection which the vertical bent portion 35 departs from the pin 34.Therefore, the film which is fed in the direction of arrow by the filmtransfer claw (not illustrated) is not taken-up by the takeup shaft inthe film cartridge 1 but is loosely stored in the film cartridge 1 andthe amount of film stored is indicated on the scale 53. Since thecountergear. after making almost one rotation. presses the footagestopper 30 from outside the vertical bent portion by way of the pin 34,and displaces the end portion of the footage stopper 30 toward thefootage stop claw disc 5 against the retaining force of the snap spring33, rotation of the shaft 3 is automatically stopped and film feed isinterrupted, because the colliding surface 36 of the claw body 40 formedon disc 5 shown in FIG. 2 interferes with the said end portion. Sincethe length of film loosely in the film cartridge during this is aconstant value determined by the gear ratios of gear train of worm4-idler gear 12gear l4countergear 26, fade-in operation is carried outby the employment of other appropriate means by which the amount ofincident light from the taking lens is reduced continuouslycorresponding to the said constant value, The contacts 51 and 52 remainclosed under the said automatic stop condition but they are immediatelyopened by the succeeding shutter button release freeing operation andcause no trouble at all.

Next when, after interrupting the incident light from the lenscompletely, the control knob 27 is rotated and set at position B, theclutch lever 15 remains in the said state, but the changeover switch 48is switched to reverse run by way of the switch lever by the action ofthe switch cam 42. [f the shutter button is released under thiscondition, the micromotor 8 rotates reversely and consequently the saideach members that is interlocked with the motor moves reversely, and thefilm that had been stored loosely in the takeup shaft side of the filmcartridge 1 is fed in the reverse direction of the arrow by the filmfeed claw (not illustrated) and returned to the supply side. Thecountergear 26 is restored to the original position and, by means of thepin 34, presses the footage stopper 30 at the inner side of the verticalbent portion 35, and, resisting against the retaining force of the snapspring 33, displaces the said end portion toward the footage stop clawdisc 6 to have it interfere with the colliding surface 37 of the clawbody 41 shown in FIG. 2, to impede the rotation of the shaft 3 and makeit stop automatically and consequently the film feeding is interrupted.The contacts 51 and 52 under the said stop condition are opened bysetting free the release operation of the shutter button similar to thecase in which the rotation of the shaft 3 is automatically stopped bythe forward movement of the said countergear 26. At the instant when theforward run automatic stop condition, in which the footage stopper 30 isat its end portion made to interfere with the colliding surface 36 ofthe claw body 40 of the footage stop claw disc 5, is turned to reverserunning condition by the said operation, the said end portion isautomatically thrown out by the pushout cam 38 of the claw body 40 ofthe footage stop claw disc 5 shown in FIG. 2. Therefore, the reverse runof the shaft 3 is started steadily without interfering with the said endportion even when there is any play in the countergear 26. Moreover, ineither case of forward run automatic stop and reverse run automaticstop, rotation of the shaft 3 can be stopped rapidly and steadily sincethe footage stopper 30 can be sufficiently engaged with each of thecolliding surfaces 36 and 37 because the footage stopper 30 has been soformed and pivoted as to be displaced the end portion thereof larger bythe pressure displacement caused by the countergear 26. Then in nextstep the control knob 27 is rotated and set at position N. since boththe clutch lever 15 and the switch lever 45 interlock with each parts torestore them to normal picture taking condition by the action of theclutch cam 19. switch cam 42. and energizing springs 20 and 44, thechangeover switch is set at forward run condition. the gear 14 isdisengaged from the countergear 26, the driven gear 11 is in mesh withthe idle gear 12. the clutch lever 15 is displaced so that the bentportion 21 falls into the V notch 24, and the footage stopper 30 isreturned to the original state by the energizing force of the snapspring 33 in which the said end portion does not interfere with eitherof the claw bodies 40 and 41 Under this condition, if fadeout picturetaking is made by doing shutter button release operation withsimultaneous employment of some other appropriate means of continuouslyincreasing the amount of incident light from the taking lens, andsuperimpose it on the image produced by the said fade-in picture taking,the overlap picture taking, or piling of fadeout picture on fade-inpicture is completed.

The length of film stored loosely in the takeup side by operating thecamera after setting the control knob 27 at position F and the length offilm returned to the supply side by operating the camera after settingthe said knob at said knob at position B are determined by the angles ofrotation of the countergear 26. Since the angles of rotation are alwaysequal because the rotation is a reciprocal motion, the difference in thelengths of the said film can be considered zero if the back lash ofinterlocking parts are ignored. Since the length of film to be returnedto the supply side is determined by means having no relationship to thelength of film stored loosely in the takeup side, if the forward run isstopped midway to the automatic stop by freeing shutter button releaseoperation and if the succeeding reverse run operation is carried out,the succeeding operation can be performed without causing any differencein the motion. When the control knob 27 is rotated and set at position Nwithout doing reverse run operation at position B under the said midwaystopping condition, the clutch lever 15 is caught and stopped by theouter edge of the counterdisc 23 at the said horizontal bent portion 21,and the engagement of the gear 14 and the countergear 26 is held inretaining condition. Therefore, the motion that stores the film loose inthe takeup side is continued until and automatic stop even when theshutter button is released. Therefore, to continue succeeding operationis impossible until the said rewind operation is repeated and finished.Consequently, when the film is left loose and stored in the takeup side,no accident is caused by the transfer to normal picture takingoperation. Moreover, since the pushout cam 39 is formed on the claw body41 of the footage stop claw disc 6, if the control knob 27 is rotatedfrom position B to position N and set there without setting free theshutter button release operation under reverse run automatic stopcondition, the forward run of the shaft 3 is immediately started becausethe footage stopper 30 is thrown out steadily by the pushout operationof the said pushout cam 39.

In case the control'knob 27 is rotated and set at position B andreleased without doing film storing operation in cartridge 1, the pin 34immediately works to press the inside of the vertical bent portion 35and the reverse motion are stopped instantly.

Therefore, no trouble is caused by the said operation.

I claim: 6

l. A forward-reverse run automatic stop device for a film rewindingdevice of a miniature movie camera comprising two stop claw discs havingpushout cams fixed face-to-face together with a worm on a shaftinterlockable with a shutter device; a driven gear having a film takeupdisc for driving a film take up shaft and a countergear having a pinprovided eccentrically to a supporting shaft by a predetermined amountrotatably mounted on the camera body, respectively, with a predeterminedspace therebetween; an idler gear operable as a worm wheel meshing withsaid worm intermediate said driven gear and countergear; a clutch leverrockabl'y mounted on the camera body for selective engagement with thedriven gear and the countergear and the clutch lever having a bentportion. a counter disc having a notch to receive said bent portion. theidler gear being supported by the clutch lever; the counterdisc beingunitary with the countergear and the outer diameter of the counterdiscbeing determined so that the bent portion of the clutch lever contactsthe outer edge of the counterdisc when the idler gear is in a state ofmeshing with the countergear; a footage stopper pivotably supported onthe camera body for swing motion and normally maintained in verticalstate by having its lower end portion restricted by a 1 pin provided onthe camera body and a snap spring, the upper

1. A forward-reverse run automatic stop device for a film rewinding device of a miniature movie camera comprising two stop claw discs having pushout cams fixed face-to-face together with a worm on a shaft interlockable with a shutter device; a driven gear having a film takeup disc for driving a film take up shaft and a countergear having a pin provided eccentrically to a supporting shaft by a predetermined amount rotatably mounted on the camera body, respectively, with a predetermined space therebetween; an idler gear operable as a worm wheel meshing with said worm intermediate said driven gear and countergear; a clutch lever rockably mounted on the camera body for selective engagement with the driven gear and the countergear, and the clutch lever having a bent portion; a counter disc having a notch to receive said bent portion; the idler gear being supported by the clutch lever; the counterdisc being unitary with the countergear and the outer diameter of the counterdisc being determined so that the bent portion of the clutch lever contacts the outer edge of the counterdisc when the idler gear is in a state of meshing with the countergear; a footage stopper pivotably supported on the camera body for swing motion and normally maintained in vertical state by having its lower end portion restricted by a pin provided on the camera body and a snap spring, the upper end portion of the stopper being positioned between said stop claw discs and a vertical bent portion thereof being intermittently contactable by a pin secured to said countergear.
 2. A forward-reverse run automatic stop device for a film rewinding device of a miniature movie camera according to claim 1, the device further comprising a predetermined divisional footage scale indices engraved on the counterdisc and a corresponding index mark is fixed to the camera, the footage scale and the index mark forming a footage counter which indicates the amount of film stored loosely in the film cartridge. 